Retainers & Flat-Fee Packages
Retainers and flat-fee packages give your firm guaranteed access, priority scheduling, and predictable billing, so you can expand capacity without scrambling or losing profit.
Predictable Support, Profitable Results
Retainer Agreements
Why choose a retainer?
Priority access: Your projects move to the front of the line.
Predictable billing: Reserved hours at a fixed monthly rate.
Rate certainty: Locked at the low end of the hourly range.
Flexibility: Retainers in 20-hour blocks; unused hours roll over 60 days.
Retainers guarantee capacity when you need it most — without payroll overhead.
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Ideal for ongoing estate planning, drafting, and general paralegal support.
Trusts, wills, and ancillary estate planning documents
Trust funding assignments and beneficiary designations
Routine client correspondence, calendaring, and compliance tracking
Overflow support to expand firm capacity
Minimum commitment: 20 hours ($2,500)
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Specialized support for post-death administration, distributions, and fiduciary compliance.
Asset marshaling and inventories
Subtrust allocations and funding
Beneficiary notices and reporting (attorney-reviewed)
Fiduciary accountings in attorney-ready format
Minimum commitment: 20 hours ($3,000)
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Advanced paralegal support for estate tax return preparation and audit-conscious documentation.
Draft Form 706 with all schedules and elections
Gift tax tracking and GST allocations
QTIP elections and trust integration
Attorney- and CPA-ready filing packages
Minimum commitment: 20 hours ($3,500)
Flat-Fee Packages
Flat-fee packages provide cost certainty for your firm and transparency for your clients. They turn open-ended projects into client-ready deliverables that are profitable and predictable.
Ideal for:
Trust Administration Milestones: First 90 days, ongoing administration, or final distribution/wrap-up.
Estate Planning Packages: Individual, couple, or combined plan with trust funding.
Custom Projects: Complex gifting transactions, Form 706 prep, or other defined matters.
Flat-fee packages turn complex projects into predictable, client-ready deliverables that keep your margins in-house.
Estate Planning & Trust Funding Packages (priced at $125/hour)
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Estate Plan (Single Person): $1,000 –$1,500
Estimated range of hours: 8–12
Includes: revocable living trust, pour-over will, durable powers of attorney, advance health care directive, HIPAA authorization, trust certificate, trust asset schedule, and ancillary documents (if applicable). -
Estate Plan (Couple): $1,500–$1,875
Estimated range of hours: 12–15
Includes: joint revocable trust, reciprocal pour-over wills, durable powers of attorney, advance health care directives, HIPAA authorizations, trust certificate, trust asset schedule, and ancillary documents for both spouses (if applicable). -
Trust Funding: $1,000–$1,875+
Estimated range of hours: 8–15+ (can vary greatly depending on asset mix, number of assets)
Includes: preparing deeds and assessor forms, account re-titling, beneficiary designations, assignments of personal property/business interests, and a funding memo. -
Estate Plan + Trust Funding (Single Person or Couple): $2,000–$3,750+
Includes: Everything included in the Estate Plan (Single Person) or Estate Plan (Couple) packages, as well as everything included in the Trust Funding package.
Trust Administration Packages
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A full-service flat-fee engagement covering the entire lifecycle of a standard trust administration from post-death compliance through final distribution.
Scope of services typically includes:
Beneficiary notifications and statutory compliance
EIN application and successor trustee accounts
Asset inventory, coordination of valuations, and trust recordkeeping
Ongoing support for trustee in managing expenses and distributions
Fiduciary accountings (1–2 standard accountings over 12–24 months)
Coordination with CPA for fiduciary income tax filings
Coordination with CPA for estate tax return (if applicable)
Final wrap-up, including closing accountings, receipts/releases, and distributions
Standard Trust Admin → $6,000 (≈ 40 hrs @ $150)
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High-value and multi-beneficiary trusts often involve complicated distribution plans, unusual assets, and heightened risk for errors. I provide specialized paralegal support to manage every stage of complex administrations efficiently and accurately, always under attorney supervision.
Services include:
Subtrust allocations and funding (A/B/C, GST, marital, bypass, ILITs, CRUTs/CRATs, etc.)
Fractional interest distributions and detailed allocation schedules
Parent–child property tax exclusion tracking and related documentation
Preparation of transfer documents and distribution deeds
Trust accountings
Coordination of valuations and appraisals for real property, business interests, and other unique assets
Complex Trust Admin → $14,000 (≈ 80 hrs @ $175)
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The initial (first 90 days) phase of a trust administration is often the most intense period of work, and this a great standalone option for firms who want a strong start.
Scope of services typically includes:
File notices of death & initial communications
Inventory & marshal assets (accounts, deeds, insurance, etc.)
Order appraisals as needed
Prepare initial allocation summaries (but not final funding)
Track deadlines (taxes, notices, creditor claims)
Set up trust administration binder/file system
Initial Trust Admin → $3,500-$7,000 (≈ 20-40 hrs @ $175)
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By preparing clear accountings, distribution documents, and releases in attorney-ready form, I help ensure the final phase of the trust administration is completed cleanly, compliantly, and with reduced risk for the trustee.
Scope of services typically includes:
Prepare fiduciary accountings
Draft distribution documents, receipts, and releases
Coordinate final tax filings (with CPA, if applicable)
Document compliance for trustee discharge
Close out subtrusts
Final Distribution Admin → $3,500-$7,000 (≈ 20-40 hrs @ $175)
(Complex distributions with multiple beneficiaries or subtrusts may be more extensive in scope.)
Don’t see a flat-rate package that fits your needs? I’m happy to work with you to develop a customized package.